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Selection Process and Committee

Selection Process

There are three phases of the selection process:  

  1. Once the nominations close, the Partnership for Public Service reviews all nominations for eligibility and completeness. Top nominations will be selected to move to the next phase.  
  1. Next, Partnership staff vets top nominations by interviewing the nominee, the nominator, and the three references. The top nominations will be selected as finalists and announced during Public Service Recognition Week. 
  1. Following a careful review and vetting process by the Partnership for Public Service, a Selection Committee and the Partnership select the winners, who are announced in the early fall.  

Selection Criteria

The selection committee ranks the finalists in each category based on:

  • The significance and impact of their accomplishments on people in America and across the world. 
  • How well they foster innovation. 
  • Demonstrated leadership. 
  • The extent to which they exemplify excellence in public service.
Page header: 2022 Federal Employee of the Year Gregory Robinson with Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff

Selection Committee

The selection committee is comprised of national leaders representing government, business, entertainment, media and the nonprofit/foundation community.  

Craig P. Abod
President
Carahsoft
Michael Bennet
U.S. Senator
U.S. Senate
Rep. Stephanie Bice
(R-Okla.)
John Bridgeland
President
Civic Enterprises
Campbell Brown
Senior Advisor
TollBit
Hugh Forrest
Co-president
SXSW
Dr. Julio Frenk
President
University of Miami
Nora Gardner
Partner
McKinsey
Doreen Greenwald
National President
NTEU
Ronnie F. Heyman
Co-Founder and Honorary Board Member
Partnership for Public Service
Everett Kelley
National President
American Federation of Government Employees
Candice McFarlane
Chief Creative Officer
Cinereach
Sara Mogulescu
President
Volker Alliance
Steven Olikara
President
Bridge Entertainment Labs
Erika Soto Lamb
Vice President of Social Impact Strategy
Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios at Paramount Global
Max Stier
President and CEO
Partnership for Public Service
Susan Thomas
President
The Melville Charitable Trust
Toni Townes-Whitley
CEO
SAIC
Judy Woodruff
Anchor and Managing Editor
PBS NewsHour
Past selection committee members include:  
Academia

JR DeShazo
Dean, University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs

Mo Elleithee
Executive Director, Georgetown University Institute of Politics and Public Service

Janet Napolitano
Former President, University of California

Frederick Wayne
President, Howard University

News and Entertainment

Samantha Bee
“Full Frontal with Samantha Bee”

Kate Bolduan
Anchor, CNN

Adam Conover
“Adam Ruins Everything” and “The G Word”

Michael Lewis
Author

Martha MacCallum
Fox News

Kai Ryssdal
Host, Marketplace

Government

Sen. Joni Ernst
Iowa

Rep. John Katko
New York

Rep. Stephanie Murphy
Florida

Rep. Bennie Thompson
Mississippi

Shirley Jones
National President, Blacks in Government

Tony Reardon
National President, National Treasury Employees Union

Philanthropy

Harvey Fineberg
President, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation

Laurene Powell Jobs
Founder and President, Emerson Collective

Sara Mogulescu
President, Volcker Alliance

Craig Newmark
Founder, Craig Newmark Philanthropies

Raj Shah
President, Rockefeller Foundation

Mariko Silver
President and CEO, Henry Luce Foundation

Private Sector

Anne Finucane
Vice Chairman, Bank of America

Amy Hood
Executive Vice President, Microsoft Corporation

Steven Preston
President and CEO, Goodwill Industries International

Christoph Schweizer
CEO, Boston Consulting Group